"From its days of the arsenal of democracy during World War II to development of vehicles for missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, Michigan has been a center of technology and engineering excellence dedicated to protecting our troops and our nation," Levin said.

"The investment announced today will mean the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Michigan Tech and Wayne State University will team with other great academic institutions, as well as nonprofit groups such as Focus:HOPE and a wide array of industry partners, to advance new technologies that will bring important capabilities to our military and new economic opportunities for our people."

A White House ceremony planned for today will announce that the proposed Advanced Lightweight Material Manufacturing Innovation Institute, headquartered in Canton, Mich., has been selected by the Office of Naval Research as a national center for advanced manufacturing. ALMMII is projected to bring 10,000 jobs, largely in high-skill manufacturing fields, to the region.

The institute will help develop cutting-edge lightweight materials in areas such as vehicle manufacturing that can make vehicles both safer and more fuel efficient for the military and consumers alike. The center will receive $70 million federal investment over five years, combined with $78 million from the states of Michigan and Ohio and more than 50 other public and private partners.